Lassim woke to the soft murmurs of conversation and the clinking of utensils.
As he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he noticed a group of three individuals in similar brown martial robes with purple accents sitting at a table in the middle of the hall near the kitchen. They were eating a simple dish of some sort of light soup with slices of bread and chatting amongst themselves.
Feeling a bit more rested and curious about his new companions for the next month, Lassim got out of bed and made his way over to them.
As he approached, the three turned to look at him, their expressions ranging from mild curiosity to open friendliness.
"Good morning," Lassim greeted them, his voice still a bit rough from sleep. "I’m Lassim. Just arrived yesterday."
One of the servants, a young man with sandy blonde hair with flecks of blue and a friendly smile, nodded. "Morning, Lassim. I’m Jiro. These are Mirana and Riku." He gestured to a petite girl with short purple hair and a tall, muscular boy with a serious expression and a buzz cut.
"Nice to meet you all," Lassim said, taking a seat at the table. "I guess we’re roommates for a bit, huh?"
Mirana nodded, her eyes sparkling with interest. "Yeah, welcome to the servant rank quarters. It’s not as bad as it sounds, though it can get pretty lonely or sad with everyone in different levels of depression or anger.."
Riku, the tall one, grunted in agreement. "Most of us are here because we either didn’t have the potential to fully join the sect or were demoted for various reasons. Failing mission quotas, behavior issues, that sort of thing. They also ignore us mainly with our only real responsibility being our different weekly quotas as a form of punishment."
Lassim looked around at their faces, seeing a mix of resignation and acceptance. "Oh, different weekly quotas? I assumed everyone had the same task. What do you all have to collect each week?" he asked.
Jiro chuckled. "Yeah, it varies for everyone. Mine is to collect 30 Storm Flowers from the outskirts of the lightning pools. They’re not too hard to find, but they can be tricky to harvest without getting shocked. As you can see, my cultivation is a bit lower than you at Spirit Transformation 2, and the lightning pools are a Spirit Ascension level resource of the sect."
Mirana chimed in, "I have to gather 20 Thunder bugs from the same area. Real nasty buggers that bite really hard. You need some special gloves so you don’t lose a finger. They grow near the Storm Flowers, so sometimes we team up to make things easier."
Riku leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "I have to collect 100 lightning worms to feed the sect’s thunderbird hatchlings that they’ll raise into mounts from the caves beneath the sect. They’re really plentiful, but it’s dangerous because of the unstable lightning formations down there.
The lightning rods above the buildings disperse the storm cloud’s energy into the ground, which then creates a lot of chaos in the underground system. I always come back blackened and bruised for a few days when I return. It sucks."
Lassim’s eyes widened a bit after learning the sect had a whole underground cave system as well. "That sounds rough. Well, my quota is 50 Thunder Source Stones from the Tempering Fields."
The three servants exchanged looks of pity and mild shock.
"What?! 50 Thunder Source Stones?!" Jiro repeated, his voice filled with disbelief. "That’s insane. Those things are scarce and tough to get because they only form by chance in the heart of the storm. Plus, they are making you grab them from the Tempering Fields specifically? Sure they might form a bit more commonly there but…"
Mirana shook her head, interrupting Jiro, "Who did you piss off to get such a brutal quota?"
Lassim hesitated, then sighed. "It was the Sect Master himself who gave me this task."
The reaction was immediate. Jiro’s eyes widened, Riku straightened in his chair, and Mirana let out a low whistle.
"The Sect Master?" Riku asked, his voice low and incredulous. "Are you serious?"
Lassim nodded. "Yeah, he wasn’t exactly friendly about it either. More stern and... angry."
Jiro frowned. "We’re talking about the same person, right? Sect Master Volten is usually really jovial, easy to get along with, and a bit of a prankster. I’d say he’s especially known for being super nice and supportive. Are you sure that’s who gave you the punishment?"
Lassim raised an eyebrow, remembering the cold and tad aggressive man who had given him his orders. "I’m pretty sure. The man I met seemed like he had a personal vendetta against me. He was abrasive, no-nonsense, and he didn’t joke around at all."
The others exchanged skeptical looks. Mirana chuckled nervously. "Maybe you met someone pretending to be the Sect Master. It wouldn’t be the first time someone pulled that trick."
Lassim shrugged his shoulders, deciding not to argue. "Maybe. Either way, my rank will be servant for the next month and then I can start the climb as an initiate."
Riku leaned forward, his serious expression softening slightly. "Well, whatever the case, you’ll need to be careful out there. The Tempering Fields are no joke. One of the things that makes finding Thunder Source Stones hard isn’t just the rarity of them. If you get struck by lightning without being on the glassified pillars, it’s a thousand times more painful and dangerous."
"I entered through the Tempering Fields when I first arrived and saw some disciples on top of them before I was met with the guards." Lassim replied.
Jiro nodded in agreement with what Riku said, adding. "Yeah, that’s the reason why they’re up there. They use the pillars to disperse some of the lightning’s intensity. If you get struck, you can touch an empty pillar for some relief. It’ll help, but that initial pain means it’s still going to be tough."
"Thanks for the advice. I’ll make sure to be careful," Lassim said appreciatively, "So, I’m originally from the Aurora Kingdom on the Veridian Continent to the North. My previous Headmaster was a student of the Sect Master, who told me I should come here because of my element, among other things. What about you all?
Where are you from and what brought you here to the sect?" Lassim asked, genuinely curious.
Jiro sighed, a wistful look in his eyes. "I come from a small village called Green Meadow. It’s pretty isolated on the southern side of this continent past the desert. Not much there except for farmers and a small market.
My parents are relaxed farmers that use their nature and water elemental powers to live a slower life rather than fight endless hordes of demons after they graduated from their academies. They’re still stronger than me by a lot, but they could be more powerful if they had focused on cultivation. I reckon they could even be managers for our village if they wanted to.
However, they always say the world needs food and they’re happy to help grow it. I joined the Lightning Sect with high hopes of making a name for myself and being more of a fighter so people would stop questioning my parent’s decision."
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"And how’s that going for you?" Lassim inquired, though he had an inkling from Jiro’s presence among the servants.
"Not great, obviously," Jiro chuckled ruefully. "My progress in cultivation has been slow. Too slow. I couldn’t keep up with the others that joined at the same time as me, no matter how hard I tried. So here I am as punishment for missing a mission challenge and coming last in a trial for one of the sect’s elemental planes.
I’ll be servant rank for just one more month after being here for 7 months so far."
Mirana chimed in, her voice softer. "I can relate. My family are merchants from the capital city, Azure Falls that is in the same region as Green Meadow. When I was accepted into the sect, it was a big deal for my family hoping to get a shop or storefront set up within the sect like they’ve always wanted.
But I overestimated myself in trying to earn enough merit points to trade for favors with a sect elder. Took on too many missions that were beyond my current capabilities and ended up failing most of them."
Lassim nodded, "Damn. That must have been tough."
"It was," Mirana admitted. "I wanted to prove myself so badly and earn my parents the store as soon as possible. I’m still hearing about it from both of them now as they keep telling me I delayed their plans with getting the demotion. I just wish they could see how hard I was trying instead of them scolding me about it. I’ll be servant rank for another two months, having already served one already."
Riku, trying to change the topic to himself before Mirana started to get too depressed said, "I had something maybe a bit similar to you Lassim. I was actually doing well. Promising, even at the top of the rank in Spirit Ascension until recently. But I stood up to an elder who was mistreating some of the lower-ranked disciples.
Apparently that elder is on the board for managing the library and the alchemist association within the sect. He’s too powerful and didn’t like my not giving him face, so—I got demoted."
Lassim frowned. "You were punished for defending others?"
Riku shrugged. "The sect values hierarchy and respect more than power at times. My actions were seen as insubordination to that elder. I don’t regret standing up for what’s right, but it cost me my position. I’ll be servant rank for six months before I can return to my previous rank. I’ve already been here for a year so far."
Jiro smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, it’s not all depressing. We look out for each other here. It’s not easy, but we make do. If you need help with getting Thunder Source Stones, we can share any ones we find during out missions too if you want."
Lassim admired their resilience and determination despite their setbacks. "Thanks, I appreciate it but I’m determined to get them all myself. I want to prove to the Sect Master that he’s an asshole and I can work hard; that I’m not someone born with a golden spoon or ’blessed’, as he put it."
They all smiled at his determination as Lassim felt a sense of camaraderie building between them all.
As the morning passed, Lassim and his new companions continued to share stories and tips about surviving in the servant rank. Now that the sun climbed higher in the sky, the group finished their meal and began to head out to continue to work on their respective weekly tasks.